Have you ever sat completely frozen at your desk, on your couch, staring at your project, knowing exactly what needs to be done, but you just can't physically start? This is known as ADHD paralysis - all that leads to shutdowns, and we’re digging deep into this topic in episode 47 of the ‘You Are A Lot’ podcast.

Here’s what we’re discussing:

What ADHD paralysis is
3 types of ADHD paralysis: mental, choice, and task-based.
Understanding ADHD shutdowns (3 different parts to consider)
How to overcome ADHD paralysis (5 strategies to use)

Whether you're ADHD or AuDHD, this episode helps you understand that you don’t need more willpower — you need more compassion. You’re overwhelmed, and you deserve support.

Listen below, stream it on your favorite podcasting app, or scroll to access the full blog post.

What is ADHD Paralysis?

According to MentalHealth.com,

“ADHD paralysis is the term given to a symptom of ADHD in which a person feels unable to function due to feeling overwhelmed by a task, frozen by indecision, or overloaded with information and thoughts.”

You are not lazy. There is actually something that is going on in your brain. ADHD paralysis differs from procrastination. It's often misunderstood by everybody else.

Trauma can make it even worse. And AuDHD brains will experience this a little bit differently than only ADHD brains.

Maybe you're in the middle of an ADHD paralysis right now, or you're beating yourself up for being behind, which is what I do constantly.

3 Types of ADHD Paralysis

I hope it's more validating to hear that there isn't just one kind, there are three types. If you have ADHD or AuDHD, you've probably experienced all three in your life.

1. Mental Paralysis

Mental paralysis is what happens when your brain hits what I like to call the “blue screen of death.”

You’re overloaded — mentally, emotionally, or even sensorily — and everything just...stalls.

According to the ADDA, this type of paralysis feels like a full-on brain crash because you're so overwhelmed by thoughts and emotions and sensory input, your brain just freezes.

You might find yourself:

Zoning out
Losing track of time
Staring into space
Sitting in front of your laptop with 10 tabs open and zero thoughts in your head.

It becomes nearly impossible to process what’s going on or organize your thoughts, let alone take action.

2. Choice Paralysis

Also known as analysis paralysis or decision paralysis, this kicks in when you’re facing too many options and can’t decide.

You might be:

Spending hours toggling between a few email drafts
Comparing every brand of dish soap on Amazon
Rereading an important text over and over and editing it, but not pressing send

Choice paralysis is described this way in an article from the ADDA. “A person may overthink or overanalyze the situation, becoming overwhelmed. They might struggle to pick an option or implement a solution".

When you do finally make a choice, you might still second-guess the choice you've made. And now you could be spending your time worrying, ‘Did I pick the wrong one?’

This isn't indecisiveness because you don't care. It's indecisiveness because you care too much. And your brain has no filter for what's relevant versus what's not.

3. Task Paralysis

This is probably the most recognizable one. It's similar to mental paralysis in that you are in a freeze mode, but you enter it when you need to do something, and it's even something small, you just can't start.

Task paralysis is an ADHD procrastination paralysis. It occurs when a person feels hesitant, scared, or even just unmotivated to begin a task.

We can enter task paralysis if:

The task is boring
The task is too big
You're afraid of failing

No matter why you have it, the result is the same. Nothing happens - and this is when the shame spiral begins.

Why can't I just start? Why does this feel so hard? What's wrong with me?

Nothing's wrong with you. This is part of your ADHD or AuDHD brain.

Truly, don't forget that you have a disability. I know you know it. You might say every day, "oh, I have ADHD", or you laugh at a meme that you saw on Instagram, or you're listening to this podcast right now.

Don't actually forget it when you are having difficulties. That's not the time to forget that you have ADHD and just call yourself stupid or unmotivated or lazy.

It's so easy to accept that we have ADHD when we do the sillier things, like leaving our coffee in the microwave all day and forgetting that we were reheating it. But when it comes to things like this, I think we can start to beat ourselves up again.

This is the time when we need to remind ourselves that we have a disability in our executive functioning - that’s where this task paralysis lies.

What’s happening in these moments is that your executive function, the part of your brain that's supposed to initiate action, has basically short-circuited and you can't brute force or willpower your way out of it.

You have to understand it, navigate it, and support yourself.

Let’s walk through what happens when you hit the shutdown part.

Understanding ADHD Shutdowns

Shutdowns are when the system (you, in this case) powers down mentally, emotionally, and physically.

You can't think, decide, or act on something, and sometimes you can't even talk about it.

ADHD shutdowns can also be broken into three parts:

1. Emotional Shutdown: Triggered by Sensory Overload)

It feels like there is too much sound, too much light, too much movement going on.

It could be too much social interaction, if you work in an open plan office space - there's just too much going on and your entire system is like, "nope, I'm done. I just, I can't".

You might…

Withdraw your brain and can't process anything else.
Retreat if you can, if you're lucky, into a quiet space.
Stop responding to your friends who are texting you.
Go numb because your brain is overloaded with information, and the only way your brain can cope is to start shutting down, which leads to a withdrawal from the situation and a decrease in the functionality of your executive functions.

2. Cognitive Shutdown: From Overwhelming Decisions

This is when choice or decision paralysis escalates. The weight of the decision, even if it's technically a small one, is unbearable.

Your brain is looping and spinning out over what could go wrong or what people might think, or how you might screw it up or whatever.

Eventually, your executive functioning just gives out. You stop deciding anything and you just shut off.

3. Task-Related Shutdown: Triggered by Fear Or Criticism

If you've experienced trauma and have CPTSD, or if you are rejection sensitive, you may associate a task with potential failure.

Why? Because incidents of past criticism will automatically start playing in your mind and in your body.

So you freeze. You know you're not freezing because it's a hard task, but it's happening because it feels dangerous.

If you worry that you won't meet expectations, or there's stress of potentially making a mistake, that can cause you to freeze and become unable to keep going with whatever you're doing.

None of this is your unique personality quirk, which I think is comforting. There's neuroscience behind this.

In an article from The Dorm, clinically reviewed by Dr. Amanda Fialk, they explain what’s happening neurologically during ADHD paralysis and shutdown:

Your prefrontal cortex — the part of your brain responsible for planning, decision-making, and forward thinking — goes offline.
Your hypothalamus takes over — that’s the part responsible for your stress response.
Your amygdala starts sounding the alarm, saying “I’m in danger,” even if the only thing in front of you is a spreadsheet or a laundry basket.

Dr. Fialk writes,

“This shift impacts basic bodily functions like hunger, sleep, and even sex drive. During an episode of ADHD paralysis, the amygdala signals a false alarm, saying, ‘I’m in danger,’ even when no real threat exists.”

ADHD paralysis and shutdown are real, and they’re rooted in how our brains are wired.

Symptoms of ADHD Paralysis

If you’re like most ADHD or AuDHD adults, you may not even realize you’re in a paralysis state until you’re deep in it — or until someone else points it out, often in the most unhelpful way possible.

So, let’s break down the symptoms of ADHD Paralysis:

What it looks like in everyday life
How long it can last
How to start recognizing the signs before things get too overwhelming

There are day-to-day, paralysis modes that we can get into that seem very normal for us. It manifests differently for everybody.

According to ADD.org, ADHD paralysis manifests differently for everyone, but there are some common symptoms people experience:

Overthinking or overanalyzing problems so that even small decisions feel impossible
Being unable to start a project, even when it's urgent or important
A complete inability to prioritize tasks or make a plan
Constant distraction
Losing your train of thought
Poor time management
A sense of time blindness, hours go by, and you can’t explain what happened or where you were mentally during it
Emotional dysregulation - mood swings, irritability, toxic shame
Avoidance of anything that requires sustained mental effort (even replying to emails can be difficult)
Jumping from one task to another, but you don't finish any of them
Doing nothing at all - completely zoning out
Doom scrolling
Rewatching the same comfort show, all of that.

These symptoms can look a lot like procrastination, but they're not the same.

Procrastination says, “I’ll do it later.”

Paralysis says, “I want to do it. I need to do it. I literally cannot move.”

Paralysis can last minutes, hours, or even days — especially if it’s reinforced by fear, shame, or trauma.

In extreme cases, Calm’s article by Dr. Mosunic points out that shutdowns caused by ADHD paralysis can lead to:

Thoughts of self-harm
Intense depression
Total functional shutdown

If that’s happening to you — it’s serious. This is when it’s time to reach out for help from a therapist, psychiatrist, or other medical professional.

ADHD paralysis might start with your brain, but if left unaddressed, it absolutely affects your body, your work, your relationships, and your mental health.

For those of us who’ve spent years hearing that we’re “lazy” or “not living up to our potential,” ADHD paralysis comes with an extra layer of shame — the idea that we should be able to just push through it.

For ADHD adults, these skills are weaker because of our low dopamine, the chemical that helps us to feel regulated, motivated, rewarded, and focused. When it is not transmitted properly in our brains, things that seem easy for other people are impossible for us.

5 Ways To Overcome ADHD Paralysis

Let’s talk about how to overcome ADHD paralysis.

The first thing I want to say is this: there is no one-size-fits-all fix.

ADHD paralysis is complicated. It’s part brain chemistry, part executive dysfunction, part emotional overload, and sometimes part trauma response. So the solutions have to be layered, gentle, and realistic.

Let’s start with some tangible, practical tools — things that have helped other neurodivergent folks break out of freeze mode, even just a little.

1. Focus on Dopamine First

In his video on overcoming “autism inertia,” creator Daniel Morgan Jones shares that starting the day with dopamine is key.

This might be:

Listening to music that energizes you, instead of watching the news
Movement - stretching, walking around the house, yard or around the block
Accomplishing a small win - making your bed, brushing your teeth, organizing something

The point is to give your brain something to feel accomplished about — something to trigger that dopamine release before you try to tackle anything hard.

2. Set a Realistic To-Do List

Realistic is the key word here.

Have a realistic to-do list first thing in the morning that is one to three things that take, you know, one or two minutes…

Make your coffee
Pour some water
Take your medication

Tip: Set a reminder - Maybe you put a sticky note on your bedside table that says, when you wake up, just make sure you're breathing. See where you're clenched for one minute, and do a little stretch or something.

3. Daily Reflection Journaling

Think about making time to brain dump everything that’s on your mind, plus some time for reflection.

Here are some prompts to get you started:

What feels overwhelming?
What do you need today?
What’s actually possible?

This allows you to be aware of what matters to you right now, so you can reflect and act on it.

4. Use The Four A’S of Coping

Calm.com shares the 4 A’s as a way to handle stress…

AVOID unnecessary stress - social obligations that drain you, overwhelming environments
ALTER the situation. Maybe you have to change how you communicate or operate. You might ask for a deadline extension, modify your work environment in some way, or adapt to the stressor. So reframe your expectations of yourself. Can you change your approach?
ADAPT to the stressor - bring as much comfort as you can to the situation, is always what I do.
ACCEPT what you can't change, and that's the hardest one. It might mean accepting that you're going to have paralysis, but it doesn't mean you have to have shame. Acceptance is just saying, this is what's real right now, and how can I move from here?

5. Body-Based Checks (Head–Heart–Hands)

Head–Heart–Hands” method is a great way to figure out why you’re stuck — and where to begin.

Head: Do I have clarity on what I’m doing? Am I overwhelmed by information?
Heart: Am I afraid of failing? Judged? Do I feel unsafe?
Hands: Have I eaten? Slept? Moved my body? Do I feel physically off?

If the answer to any of these is “no,” that’s your first task — not the email, not the project. You. Your body. Your regulation.

Coping with Shutdown in AuDHD

Let’s talk about the AuDHD piece of it. Inertia is a deep, persistent disconnection between what I want to do and what I can physically make myself do.

Autistic inertia and ADHD paralysis are related, but they are different.

ADHD paralysis involves feeling overwhelmed by the demands of executive functioning, while autistic inertia is a disconnect between intentions and actions.

AuDHD people may:

Need more time to transition between tasks
Struggle with internal cues to start moving and feeling stuck with knowing
Feel stuck even though we know exactly what to do

This means the solutions have to be even more compassionate.

Try:

Having a trusted accountability partner (someone who understands and doesn’t judge)
Using body doubling (working silently alongside someone else, virtually or IRL)
Setting up external structure, like visual schedules or routine playlists

Final Thoughts: ADHD Paralysis & Long Term Healing

It’s important to begin reframing the way we think of ADHD paralysis, and not just think, "okay, I accept it, but it’s oh so annoying".

You see, we’ve been taught our whole lives to see:

ADHD paralysis as flakiness
Shutting down as being antisocial and weak
That not starting is failure.

This is where the damage starts to happen to our identity, so we must reframe our identity. Think of it this way…

You're not behind. You're at capacity. Your nervous system is saying, I don't feel safe to move forward yet.
You are not lazy. Your patterns mean that your body and your intuition are asking you to care for yourself.
You can respond differently - this is what will shift the paralysis going forward.

I’ll leave you with a few more ways to support yourself…

Replace the word lazy with signal.

“I'm not lazy. I'm getting a signal.”

You're not trying to be perfectly productive, but you're just trying to exist without so many shutdowns and feelings of toxic shame. It's okay to stop and ask yourself "what do I need right now?".

Understand What You Need Right Now

Sometimes I put my hand on my heart and I close my and say, "Jen, what do you need right now?", as though someone is asking me.

I'm telling you, you'll probably start crying, because you never stop doing that.

That's what all of these symptoms, triggers, and shutdowns are. As neurological as they are, at the end of the day, it means they've been triggered because you're not meeting your own needs.

Don’t Worry About Other People Not Getting It

If the people around you don't get it; that's their problem. You're either dealing with a neurotypical or a neurodivergent who is not yet willing to unlearn shame.

Find People Who Support and Celebrate With You

Connect with people who build you up, support and celebrate you.

This might be with ADHD friends, group coaching, or on my Patreon (we've got a great chat community and we support one another with our smallest accomplishments).

–

If you’re in the middle of ADHD paralysis right now, start small.

Eat something. Move your body for two minutes. Text one person back. Celebrate it like you just climbed a damn mountain, because to your brain, you did.

FAQs:

This isn’t about laziness, or lack of motivation, or poor character. It’s about neurology — and in many cases, trauma.
According to ADHD Advisor, Andrea Tarantell, LPC, NCC, explains that ADHD paralysis is often the result of a perfect storm of neurological and psychological factors.
Neurological Factors:
- Executive function deficits: Skills your brain uses to plan, prioritize, start, and finish tasks. For people with ADHD, these skills are naturally weaker.
- Low dopamine: The ADHD brain struggles with dopamine regulation. Dopamine is the chemical that helps you feel motivated, rewarded, and focused. Without enough of it, tasks that seem “easy” for others can feel impossible for us.
Psychological Factors:
- Emotional dysregulation: When we feel overwhelmed, our emotions can flood the system and override our ability to act
- Negative thought patterns: Years of struggling with ADHD can lead to internalized beliefs like “I always fail,” “I’ll never finish this,” or “What’s the point?”
Trauma does not cause ADHD, but a lot of people with ADHD also have trauma.
“People with ADHD are more likely to have high ACE scores (Adverse Childhood Experiences).” - Michelle Frank, Psy.D. - Additude Mag
👉 Access the ACE test here. (Your score lets you know, pretty simply, if you have experienced adverse childhood situations, and that does affect your brain).
As if ADHD paralysis isn’t hard enough to live through, it gets even harder when people around us — coworkers, friends, family, even partners — completely misinterpret it.
It can be mistaken for:
- Laziness
- Flakiness
- Lack of motivation
- Irresponsibility
- Not caring
According to EndevourOTC, ADHD paralysis is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is often mistaken for having a lack of motivation or willpower. People with ADHD experience mental inertia — the freeze state — and the people around them often respond with judgment.
- “Why didn’t you get back to me?”
- “Why didn’t you just start the project earlier?”
- “You said you’d do it — what happened?”
ADHD paralysis is what has happened, but from the outside, to the neurotypical people, it just looks like you don't care, you have bad time management, or you're just making excuses.
These Misunderstandings Make ADHD Paralysis Worse
It’s like this awful feedback loop:
1. You freeze
2. You avoid the task
3. Someone gets frustrated
4. You feel ashamed
5. The shame makes it harder to start
6. Now you’re even more stuck
Maybe we're also catastrophizing and we're thinking, "Oh my God, they probably think I'm unreliable, I'm gonna lose my job, I've already messed it up. So what's the point now?"
You’re not being dramatic. You’re not being overly sensitive. You’re reacting to a lifetime of being misunderstood.
Sometimes the damage is subtle but deep:
- Friends get annoyed that you cancel plans last minute
- You stop offering to help because you’re afraid you’ll forget
- You don’t share your ideas at work because you didn’t finish the last thing on time
Over time, this can lead to isolation, low self-esteem, and fear of taking initiative.
Let’s be clear…
If someone is constantly in ADHD paralysis, they’re not flaky, undisciplined, a bad friend/partner, or employee. They are neurodivergent in a world that rewards constant output, instant replies, and tidy checklists.
This mismatch creates a kind of pressure that shuts us down before we’ve even started.

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Episode 47: Show Notes

Take the ACE test (Adverse Childhood Experiences)
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Sources

ADHD Paralysis: Mental Health
ADHD Paralysis is Real: ADDA
What is ADHD Shutdown? Calm
Understanding ADHD Paralysis: The Dorm
Complex PTSD Pete Walker

What is ADHD Paralysis & 5 Ways To Overcome It